Tamper evident clamshell container

ABSTRACT

Tamper evident clamshell containers include a first half hingedly coupled to a second half. The first half has a first closure edge with a tamper evident closure frangibly coupled thereto and the second half has a second closure edge with an engagement feature. The tamper evident closure can be coupled to the engagement feature to close the container. A force necessary to decouple the tamper evident closure and the engagement feature is greater than a force necessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evident closure from the first closure edge of the first half of the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/573,867 filed on Oct. 18, 2017, and U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/614,537 filed on Jan. 8,2018. The entire disclosures of the above patent applications areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present technology relates to tamper evident containers, and in oneembodiment a clamshell-style container comprising a container half orbody with a hingedly attached half or lid configured to close and sealthe container, where reopening the lid separates a portion of a closuremechanism providing an indication that the container was previouslyclosed and has been tampered with by re-opening.

INTRODUCTION

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Clamshell-style containers for various products, including various foodproducts, are well known. Such clamshell-style containers can be formedof various materials, including various plastics, various foamedmaterials (e.g., expanded polystyrene or EPS), and various paper-basedmaterials (e.g., paperboard, cardboard, etc). Plastic clamshell-stylecontainers can be thermoformed from a polymeric material, such aspolyethylene terephthalate (PET). These clamshell-style containers canprovide convenience to retailers and consumers, while also beingeconomical, hygienic, and recyclable. Various clamshell-style containerscan be formed using various transparent, clear, or colored materials, aswell as formed using various opaque or translucent materials, dependingon whether it is desirable that the contents are to be visible when thecontainer is closed.

One common feature of such containers is the use of a frangible sectionor a tear strip that must be removed in order to provide access to thecontents of a closed container and that provides a tamper evidentfeature, yielding physical evidence that the container was opened priorto reaching an end user or consumer. One problem with such containers,however, is that the frangible section or tear strip becomes a separatewaste item that is not necessarily recycled at the same time thecontainer is recycled or is not recycled at all. Another problem withsuch containers is that frangible sections or tear strips arepurposefully designed to be visible and can therefore can bedeliberately circumvented in certain cases by someone wishing to openthe container without leaving evidence of a tampering event. Yet anotherproblem with certain frangible sections or tear strips is that, once thetamper evident feature has been exercised, a lid portion of thecontainer can be physically separated from a remainder of the container,producing separate polymer pieces that can be misplaced, compoundingrecycling issues, and where the separate portions may not all be markedwith recycling codes.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a clamshell-style container thatprovides a discrete tamper evident function, evidencing whether atampering event occurred, where opening of the container does notgenerate loose separate pieces.

SUMMARY

The present technology includes articles of manufacture, systems, andprocesses that relate to a clamshell-type container useful for foodservice and/or other uses that has the advantages of providing a tamperevident feature without producing a loose, separate waste piece, andwhere the tamper evident feature provides a discrete appearance prior toopening of the container.

Tamper evident clamshell containers are provided that include a firsthalf hingedly coupled to a second half. The first half includes a firstclosure edge having a tamper evident closure frangibly coupled theretoand the second half includes a second closure edge having an engagementfeature. The tamper evident closure is configured to be coupled to theengagement feature and close the container. A force necessary todecouple the tamper evident closure and the engagement feature isgreater than a force necessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evidentclosure from the first closure edge of the first half.

In this manner, opening of the closed container results in the tamperevident closure frangibly decoupling from the first closure edge of thefirst half of the container. The decoupled tamper evident closuretherefore remains coupled to the engagement feature on the secondclosure edge of the second half of the container. The frangibledecoupling of the tamper evident closure provides a physical indicationthat the container was previously closed and then opened. Where couplingbetween the tamper evident closure and the engagement feature providedthe only way to hold the container closed, the container can no longerbe held closed. Otherwise, the container can further include one or moreclosure means on each of the closure edges, where the closure means canbe configured to couple together and hold the container closed. Thetamper evident closure can be frangibly coupled to the closure edge ofthe first half of the container in various ways, including the use of apartition having a reduced thickness compared to adjacent portions ofthe container and/or a partition having perforations. In certain cases,a coupling device can be provided that is configured to couple thetamper evident closure to the engagement feature when the tamper evidentclosure is coupled to the engagement feature and the container isclosed. The coupling device, for example, can be configured tomechanically fasten and retain the tamper evident closure to theengagement feature when the tamper evident closure is frangiblydecoupled from the first closure edge of the first half.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a tamper evidentclamshell container showing two hingedly coupled halves that arepartially open.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the tamper evident clamshell containerof FIG. 1A showing the two hingedly coupled halves closed, where atamper evident closure is coupled to an engagement feature.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the tamper evident clamshell containerof FIG. 1A showing the two hingedly coupled halves reopened after beingclosed as shown in FIG. 1B, where the tamper evident closure isdecoupled from a first closure edge of a first half and remains coupledto the engagement feature.

FIG. 2A is a partially exploded perspective view of another embodimentof a tamper evident clamshell container showing two hingedly coupledhalves that are closed, where a tamper evident closure is coupled to anengagement feature and a coupling device is provided to be disposedtherethrough.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the tamper evident clamshell containerof FIG. 2A showing the coupling device disposed through the tamperevident closure as coupled to the engagement feature, where the couplingdevice mechanically fastens and retains the tamper evident closure tothe engagement feature.

FIG. 2C is a fragmentary front elevational view of the coupling devicedisposed through the tamper evident closure coupled to the engagementfeature and mechanically fastening the tamper evident closure to theengagement feature.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a tamperevident clamshell container showing two hingedly coupled halves that arepartially open.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the tamper evident clamshell containerof FIG. 3A showing the two hingedly coupled halves closed, where atamper evident closure is coupled to an engagement feature.

FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the tamper evident clamshell containerof FIG. 3A showing the two hingedly coupled halves reopened after beingclosed as shown in FIG. 3B, where the tamper evident closure isdecoupled from a first closure edge of a first half and remains coupledto the engagement feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature ofthe subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, andis not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specificinvention claimed in this application or in such other applications asmay be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuingtherefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presentedis exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can bedifferent in various embodiments. “A” and “an” as used herein indicate“at least one” of the item is present; a plurality of such items may bepresent, when possible. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, allnumerical quantities in this description are to be understood asmodified by the word “about” and all geometric and spatial descriptorsare to be understood as modified by the word “substantially” indescribing the broadest scope of the technology. “About” when applied tonumerical values indicates that the calculation or the measurementallows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach toexactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value;nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” and/or“substantially” is not otherwise understood in the art with thisordinary meaning, then “about” and/or “substantially” as used hereinindicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods ofmeasuring or using such parameters.

All documents, including patents, patent applications, and scientificliterature cited in this detailed description are incorporated herein byreference, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Where any conflict orambiguity may exist between a document incorporated by reference andthis detailed description, the present detailed description controls.

Although the open-ended term “comprising,” as a synonym ofnon-restrictive terms such as including, containing, or having, is usedherein to describe and claim embodiments of the present technology,embodiments may alternatively be described using more limiting termssuch as “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of” Thus, for anygiven embodiment reciting materials, components, or process steps, thepresent technology also specifically includes embodiments consisting of,or consisting essentially of, such materials, components, or processsteps excluding additional materials, components or processes (forconsisting of) and excluding additional materials, components orprocesses affecting the significant properties of the embodiment (forconsisting essentially of), even though such additional materials,components or processes are not explicitly recited in this application.For example, recitation of a composition or process reciting elements A,B and C specifically envisions embodiments consisting of, and consistingessentially of, A, B and C, excluding an element D that may be recitedin the art, even though element D is not explicitly described as beingexcluded herein.

As referred to herein, disclosures of ranges are, unless specifiedotherwise, inclusive of endpoints and include all distinct values andfurther divided ranges within the entire range. Thus, for example, arange of “from A to B” or “from about A to about B” is inclusive of Aand of B. Disclosure of values and ranges of values for specificparameters (such as amounts, weight percentages, etc.) are not exclusiveof other values and ranges of values useful herein. It is envisionedthat two or more specific exemplified values for a given parameter maydefine endpoints for a range of values that may be claimed for theparameter. For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to havevalue A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned thatParameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z.Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges ofvalues for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping ordistinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value thatmight be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example,if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may haveother ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3,3-10, 3-9, and so on.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element orlayer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “front,” “back,” “side,” “below,”“lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

The present technology provides various tamper evident containersincluding thermoformed clamshell-style containers having a containerbody formed of two hingedly coupled halves configured to close and sealthe container, whereupon reopening the two halves separates a portion ofa closure mechanism providing an indication that the container waspreviously closed. In particular, such tamper evident clamshellcontainers can include a first half hingedly coupled to a second half,where the first half includes a first closure edge having a tamperevident closure frangibly coupled thereto and the second half includes asecond closure edge having an engagement feature. The tamper evidentclosure is configured to be coupled to the engagement feature andthereby close the container. A force necessary to decouple the tamperevident closure and the engagement feature is greater than a forcenecessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evident closure from thefirst closure edge of the first half. Accordingly, opening of the closedcontainer results in the tamper evident closure being frangiblydecoupled from the first closure edge of the first half of the containerand remaining coupled to the engagement feature on the second closureedge of the second half of the container.

The tamper evident containers can also include a first half releasablycoupled to a second half, where the first half includes a first closureedge having a tamper evident closure frangibly coupled thereto and thesecond half includes a second closure edge having an engagement feature.An additional closure and an additional engagement feature can berespectively provided on the first closure edge and the second closureedge to provide a re-sealing means once the tamper evident closure isfrangibly decoupled from the first closure edge. The first half mayfurther include a third closure edge having a closure coupled theretoand the second half may include a fourth closure edge having anengagement feature. The closure is configured to be coupled to theengagement feature and thereby close the third edge and the fourth edgeof container. A force necessary to decouple the tamper evident closureand the engagement feature is greater than a force necessary tofrangibly decouple the tamper evident closure from the first closureedge of the first half. Accordingly, opening of the closed containerresults in the tamper evident closure being frangibly decoupled from thefirst closure edge of the first half of the container and remainingcoupled to the engagement feature on the second closure edge of thesecond half of the container.

The container can take on various shapes, forms, and dimensions. Thecontainer can be formed without hinged portions or to include hingedportions that open and shut in a manner resembling the halves of aclamshell. The halves can be of substantially identical dimensions orcan have one half that primarily functions as a container portion withwalls defining a depth of the container portion and another half thatprimarily functions as a lid portion with shallow or no walls relativeto the container portion. The hinged portions of the container, formingthe two halves can generally be referred to as a first half and a secondhalf. Opposite of where the first half is hingedly coupled to the secondhalf can be positioned the first closure edge of the first half and thesecond closure edge of the second half. The first and second closureedges can also be positioned on other sides or edges of the container,but it can typically be more convenient to have the first closure edgeand the second closure edge opposite the hinge to facilitate closing andreopening of the container.

In addition to the tamper evident closure configured to be coupled tothe engagement feature and close the container, the container caninclude one or more additional closures to keep the first half andsecond half closed together and minimize inadvertent opening of thecontainer, or to re-seal the container once opened. Such closures can bespaced at one or more locations around the edges of the container on thefirst half and/or second half, including the first closure edge and thesecond closure edge or other edges of the container. The closures can beconfigured to releasably couple the first half and the second half andcan operate in addition to the tamper evident closure being coupled tothe engagement feature to close the container. Where two such closuresare included, the tamper evident closure and the engagement feature canbe flanked by a first closure and a second closure. For example, acontainer can be configured where the first half is hingedly coupled tothe second half along at least a portion of a back of the container, thefirst closure and the second closure can each be located on a front ofthe container adjacent a respective side of the container, and thetamper evident closure and the engagement feature can be substantiallycentered on the front of the container.

Various configurations can be used for coupling the tamper evidentclosure to the engagement feature. Interlocking features, compressionfittings, and various resilient male-female couplings can be used.Certain embodiments include where the tamper evident closure isconfigured to be coupled to the engagement feature by a snap-fitting. Asnap-fitting can include where one of the tamper evident closure and theengagement feature includes a molded undercut and the other of thetamper evident closure and the engagement feature includes a mating lip,where the molded undercut engages the mating lip. Various types ofsnap-fittings include annular snap-fittings, cantilever snap fittings,and ball-and-socket joints. Typically, one or both of the tamper evidentclosure and the engagement feature is deformed during the couplingthereof, where a resilient nature returns one or both of the tamperevident closure and the engagement feature substantially back to anoriginal shape or dimension once the coupling is complete; e.g., whenthe molded undercut engages the mating lip.

Embodiments of the tamper evident clamshell container can include theuse of a coupling device configured to couple the tamper evident closureto the engagement feature when the tamper evident closure is coupled tothe engagement feature and the container is closed. For example, thecoupling device can be a separate component from the container that isused couple the tamper evident closure to the engagement feature or tosupplement the coupling of the tamper evident closure to the engagementfeature when the container is closed. The coupling device can beconfigured to mechanically fasten and retain the tamper evident closureto the engagement feature when the tamper evident closure is frangiblydecoupled from the first closure edge of the first half. A portion ofthe coupling device can be configured to pass through the tamper evidentclosure as well as the engagement feature when the tamper evidentclosure is coupled to the engagement feature and the container isclosed. In certain embodiments, the coupling device can be configured asa pin having a head and one or more barbs. The pin can be pushed throughthe engagement feature to the tamper evident closure when the tamperevident closure is coupled to the engagement feature and the containeris closed. The head and the one or more barbs can therefore mechanicallyfasten or lock the tamper evident closure and the engagement featuretogether.

The tamper evident closure can be configured to be frangibly decoupledfrom the first closure edge of the first half in various ways. Frangibledecoupling can involve the tamper evident closure being torn away from aremainder of the first closure edge. After being torn, the tamperevident closure remains coupled to the engagement feature upon openingof the previously closed container. The tamper evident closure can alsobe frangibly coupled to the closure edge of the first half of thecontainer by a partition that defines the tamper evident closure. Thepartition can include a thickness that is less than the thickness ofportions of the container adjacent the partition, thereby making thematerial of the partition easier to tear and/or separate compared to theportions of the container adjacent the partition. The partition can alsoinclude perforations, where such perforations can include one or morerows of small holes through the container material that guide tearing orseparating of the tamper evident closure. In certain embodiments thepartition can define the tamper evident closure as a tab frangiblycoupled to the first edge of the first half of the container. In otherembodiments, the partition can circumscribe the tamper evident closureso that an aperture is formed in the first edge when the tamper evidentclosure is frangibly decoupled therefrom. Absence of the tab or theformation of the aperture in the first edge of the first half therebyprovides evidence of reopening or tampering of the container.

The container can be made of various materials and can be formed invarious ways. Containers include those made of plastics, foamedmaterials (e.g., expanded polystyrene or EPS), and paper-based materials(e.g., paperboard, cardboard, etc). Material choice can be dependent ondesired features, including insulative properties, rigidity, weightcapacity, recyclability, water resistance, heat resistance, microwavecompatibility, etc. Forming methods include vacuum forming,thermoforming, compression molding, injection molding, etc. Embodimentsinclude where the container is thermoformed from a polymeric materialsuch as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). The container can be made of an opaque material;e.g., a foamed material or a paper-based material. The container canalso be made of a transparent material; e.g., PET. The container can bemade by thermoforming of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet orblanks. For various commercial purposes, the container can be formed ofPET that is clear so that an end user may view the contents of thecontainer. However, opaque plastics or other materials of various typescan be used, as well as various opaque colors and translucent colors.The thickness of the container wall can be such that the entirecontainer can be reasonably resilient and lightweight and thisresiliency can improve coupling functions between the tamper evidentclosure and the engagement feature, as well as any additional closuremeans.

The container can be designed to hold various items and can be useful inany storage or merchandizing situation where a tamper evident feature isadvantageous. Examples include containers for holding variousfoodstuffs, including various prepared foods and prepackaged foods. Thecontainer provides a convenient and readily identifiable way todetermine whether the container was previously closed and reopened, asthe tamper evident closure becomes frangibly decoupled from the firstclosure edge of the container upon reopening and is retained by theengagement feature on the second closure edge of the container.Accordingly, there is physical evidence that the container was reopened.The tamper evident feature remaining coupled to the engagement featurealso minimizes any loose parts associated with the container and canmaximize the recyclability of the container, unlike tear strips andother devices that separate from the container.

Examples

Example embodiments of the present technology are provided withreference to the several figures enclosed herewith.

With reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, an embodiment of a tamperevident clamshell container is shown at 100. The container 100 includesa first half 105 hingedly coupled to a second half 110. A hinge 115 cancomprise a majority of the length of a shared side of the first half 105and the second half 110. The first half 105 includes a first closureedge 120 having a tamper evident closure 125 frangibly coupled thereto.The second half 110 includes a second closure edge 130 having anengagement feature 135. The tamper evident closure 125 is configured tobe coupled to the engagement feature 135 and close the container 100. Asdepicted, the tamper evident closure 125 is receives the engagementfeature 135 to provide a snap-fitment therebetween. A force necessary todecouple the tamper evident closure 125 and the engagement feature 135,that is a force necessary to overcome the snap-fitment, is greater thana force necessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evident closure 125from the first closure edge 120 of the first half 105.

As shown, the first closure edge 120 of the first half 105 of thecontainer 100 and the second closure edge 130 of the second half 110 ofthe container 100 are opposite of where the first half 105 is hingedlycoupled to the second half 110, namely at the hinge 115. Additionalclosure means, including a first closure means 140A, 140B and a secondclosure means 145A, 145B, are provided to further hold the first half105 and second half 110 together when the container 100 is closed. Thefirst closure means 140A, 140B and the second closure means 145A, 145Bcan accordingly reversibly couple the first half 105 and the second half110 and be used to repeatedly hold the container 100 closed. Theembodiment of the depicted container 100 has the tamper evident closure125 and the engagement feature 135 flanked by the first closure means140A, 140B and the second closure means 145A, 145B, but otherconfigurations are possible. The first closure means 140A, 140B and thesecond closure means 145A, 145B are depicted as two-part features thatcooperate as snap-fitments, although other coupling types can be used.

With reference to the FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, relative position of thesevarious features with respect to the overall container 100 can bedescribed as follows. The first half 105 is hingedly coupled to thesecond half 110 along at least a portion of a back 150 of the container100; e.g., along hinge 115. The first closure means 140A, 140B and thesecond closure means 145A, 145B are each located on a front 155 of thecontainer 100 adjacent a respective side 160, 165 of the container 100.The tamper evident closure 125 and the engagement feature 135 aresubstantially centered on the front 155 of the container 100.

The tamper evident closure 125 that is shown is configured to be coupledto the engagement feature 135 by a snap-fitting. It can be seen that thetamper evident closure 125 receives the engagement feature 135; however,the engagement feature 135 could be configured to receive the tamperevident closure 125. Once the tamper evident closure 125 is coupled tothe engagement feature 135 and the container 100 is closed, the tamperevident closure 125 will be frangibly decoupled from the first closureedge 120 of the first half 105 of the container 100 upon reopening thecontainer 100. The transition from a closed container 100 to a reopenedcontainer 100 is shown from FIG. 1B to FIG. 1C.

The frangible decoupling can involve the tamper evident closure 125tearing away from a remainder of the first closure edge 120. To achievethis, the tamper evident closure 125 is frangibly coupled to the firstclosure edge 120 of the first half 105 of the container 100 by apartition 170 defining the tamper evident closure 125. The partition 170can include a thickness that is less than the thickness of portions 175of the container adjacent the partition 170, including the portions 175on either side of the partition 170. Alternatively, or in addition to,the partition 170 can include perforations. The reduced thickness of thepartition 170 and/or the perforations of the partition 170 provide thefrangible coupling of the tamper evident closure 125 to the firstclosure edge 120. As shown in FIG. 1B, the partition 170 defines thetamper evident closure 125 as a tab 180 that is frangibly coupled to thefirst edge 120. As shown in FIG. 1C, upon reopening the container 100,the tamper evident closure 125 is frangibly decoupled from the firstclosure edge 120 along the partition 170, as the tamper evident closure125 remains coupled to the engagement feature 135, and leaves an indent185 in the first closure edge 120 where the tab 180 used to be. Theindent 185 and the tamper evident closure 125 (coupled to the undersideof the engagement feature 135) each provide physical evidence that thecontainer 100 was previously closed and is now reopened as shown in FIG.1C.

With reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, another embodiment of a tamperevident clamshell container is shown at 100′, where features analogousto those found in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C havereference numerals denoted with a single prime (′). FIG. 2A shows thecontainer 100′ closed, where the tamper evident closure 125′ is coupledto the engagement feature 135′. Here, a coupling device 190 is providedthat is configured to couple the tamper evident closure 125′ to theengagement feature 135′. In this case, the tamper evident closure 125′can receive the engagement feature 135′ and can provide a snap-fitmenttherebetween (as already described for FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C) or thetamper evident closure 125′ can be coupled to the engagement feature135′ solely by using the coupling device 190. That is, the couplingdevice 190 can result in a force necessary to decouple the tamperevident closure 125′ and the engagement feature 135′ being greater thana force necessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evident closure 125′from the first closure edge 120′ of the first half 105.

The coupling device 190 is configured to mechanically fasten and retainthe tamper evident closure 125′ to the engagement feature 135′ when thetamper evident closure 125′ is frangibly decoupled from the firstclosure edge 120′ of the first half 105′ of the container 100′. In theembodiment shown, a portion of the coupling device 190 is configured topass through both the tamper evident closure 125′ and the engagementfeature 135′ when the tamper evident closure 125′ is coupled to theengagement feature 135′ and the container 100′ is closed. The couplingdevice 190 can be formed as a pin 195 having a head 200 and two barbs205. The pin 195 can be pushed through the engagement feature 135′ andthrough tamper evident closure 125′ when the tamper evident closure 125′is coupled to the engagement feature 135′ and the container 100 isclosed. The head 200 and the barbs 205 can therefore mechanically fastenor lock the tamper evident closure 125′ and the engagement feature 135′together.

Following installation of the coupling device 190, reopening of thecontainer 100′ results in frangible decoupling of the tamper evidentclosure 125′ from the first closure edge 120′ of the first half 105′.For example, as described in reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS.1A, 1B, and 1C, the tamper evident closure 125′ is frangibly decoupledfrom the first closure edge 120′ along the partition 170′, as the tamperevident closure 125′ remains coupled to the engagement feature 135′ bythe coupling device 190, and leaves an indent 185′ in the first closureedge 120′ where the tab 180′ used to be. The indent 185′ and the tamperevident closure 125′ (coupled to the underside of the engagement feature135′ by the coupling device 190) each provide physical evidence that thecontainer 100′ was previously closed and has been reopened.

With reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, yet another embodiment of atamper evident clamshell container is shown at 100″, where featuresanalogous to those found the embodiment of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C havereference numerals denoted with a double prime (″). As before, thetamper evident closure 125″ is configured to be frangibly decoupled fromthe first closure edge 120″ of the first half 105″ by tearing away thetamper evident closure 125″ from a remainder of the first closure edge120″. The tamper evident closure 125″ is frangibly coupled to the firstclosure edge 120″ of the first half 105″ of the container 100″ by apartition 170″ defining the tamper evident closure 125″. The partition170″ can include a thickness that is less than the thickness of portions175″ of the container adjacent the partition 170″, including theportions 175″ on either side of the partition 170″. Alternatively, or inaddition to, the partition 170″ can include perforations. The reducedthickness of the partition 170″ and/or the perforations of the partition170″ provide the frangible coupling of the tamper evident closure 125″to the first closure edge 120″. As shown in FIG. 3A, the partition 170″defines the tamper evident closure 125″ by circumscribing the tamperevident closure 125″ on the first closure edge 120″. As shown in FIG.3C, upon reopening the container 100″, the tamper evident closure 125″is frangibly decoupled from the first closure edge 120″ about thepartition 170″, as the tamper evident closure 125″ remains coupled tothe engagement feature 135″, and leaves an aperture 210 in the firstclosure edge 120″ where the tamper evident closure 125″ used to be. Theaperture 210 and the tamper evident closure 125″ (coupled to theunderside of the engagement feature 135″) each provide physical evidencethat the container 100″ was previously closed and is now reopened asshown in FIG. 3C. It should be noted that when the container 100″ isclosed, a coupling device 190 (as per the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A,2B, and 2C) can also be provided that is configured to couple the tamperevident closure 125″ to the engagement feature 135″. The coupling device190 can be configured and can function as described.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations ofsome embodiments, materials, compositions and methods can be made withinthe scope of the present technology, with substantially similar results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tamper evident container comprising: a firsthalf including a first closure edge having a tamper evident closurefrangibly coupled thereto; and a second half coupled to the first half,the second half including a second closure edge having an engagementfeature, the tamper evident closure configured to be coupled to theengagement feature and close the container; wherein a force necessary todecouple the tamper evident closure and the engagement feature isgreater than a force necessary to frangibly decouple the tamper evidentclosure from the first closure edge of the first half.
 2. The containerof claim 1, wherein the first half is hingedly coupled to the secondhalf to form a clamshell container, and wherein the first closure edgeof the first half and the second closure edge of the second half areopposite a hinge edge where the first half is hingedly coupled to thesecond half.
 3. The container of claim 1, further comprising a firstclosure configured to releasably couple the first half and the secondhalf and close the container.
 4. The container of claim 3, furthercomprising a second closure configured to releasably couple the firsthalf and the second half and close the container.
 5. The container ofclaim 4, wherein the tamper evident closure and the engagement featureare flanked by the first closure and the second closure.
 6. Thecontainer of claim 5, wherein the first half is hingedly coupled to thesecond half along at least a portion of a back of the container, thefirst closure and the second closure are each located on a front of thecontainer adjacent a respective side of the container, and the tamperevident closure and the engagement feature are substantially centered onthe front of the container.
 7. The container of claim 1, wherein thetamper evident closure is configured to be coupled to the engagementfeature by a snap-fitting.
 8. The container of claim 1, furthercomprising a coupling device configured to couple the tamper evidentclosure to the engagement feature when the tamper evident closure iscoupled to the engagement feature and the container is closed.
 9. Thecontainer of claim 8, wherein the coupling device is configured tomechanically fasten and retain the tamper evident closure to theengagement feature when the tamper evident closure is frangiblydecoupled from the first closure edge of the first half.
 10. Thecontainer of claim 8, wherein a portion of the coupling device isconfigured to pass through the tamper evident closure and the engagementfeature when the tamper evident closure is coupled to the engagementfeature and the container is closed.
 11. The container of claim 1,wherein the tamper evident closure is configured to be frangiblydecoupled from the first closure edge of the first half by tearing thetamper evident closure from a remainder of the first closure edge. 12.The container of claim 1, wherein the tamper evident closure isfrangibly coupled to the closure edge of the first half of the containerby a partition defining the tamper evident closure.
 13. The container ofclaim 12, wherein the partition includes a thickness that is less thanthe thickness of portions of the container adjacent the partition. 14.The container of claim 12, wherein the partition includes perforations.15. The container of claim 12, wherein the partition defines the tamperevident closure as a tab frangibly coupled to the first edge.
 16. Thecontainer of claim 12, wherein the partition circumscribes the tamperevident closure so an aperture is formed in the first edge when thetamper evident closure is frangibly decoupled therefrom.
 17. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein the container comprises an opaquematerial.
 18. The container of claim 17, wherein the opaque materialcomprises one of a foamed material or a paper-based material.
 19. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a transparentmaterial.
 20. The container of claim 19, wherein the transparentmaterial comprises polyethylene terephthalate.